OSLO – Former Norwegian Prime Minister and Nobel Peace Prize Committee Chairman Thorbjørn Jagland has been formally charged with “aggravated corruption” following a dramatic police raid on his residences. The charges stem from newly released documents by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) that expose deep and long-running ties between the veteran statesman and the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Immunity Waived for Unprecedented Probe
The legal breakthrough occurred on Wednesday, February 11, 2026, when the Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers voted to waive Jagland’s diplomatic immunity. Jagland served as the Council’s Secretary General from 2009 to 2019, a period during which he allegedly maintained frequent contact with Epstein.
Following the waiver, Norway’s economic crime unit, Økokrim, moved swiftly. On Thursday morning, police investigators ransacked Jagland’s primary residence in Oslo’s affluent Frogner district, as well as his properties in Risør and Rauland. Boxes of evidence were seen being removed from the homes while Jagland and his legal team remained inside.
“As an automatic consequence of the search, Jagland now has the formal status of a suspect,” stated Jagland’s defense lawyer, Anders Brosveet. Økokrim Director Pål K. Lønseth confirmed the charge, stating there are “reasonable grounds” to investigate whether Jagland received gifts, luxury travel, or loans in connection with his official duties.
The Epstein Files: Loans and Luxury Stays
The investigation was triggered by the release of over 3 million pages of documents under the U.S. Epstein Files Transparency Act. According to reports by NRK and VG, the documents suggest a relationship far more intimate than “normal diplomatic activity,” as Jagland had previously characterized it.
Key revelations from the files include:
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Property Financing: Emails from 2014 show Jagland seeking Epstein’s assistance in financing an apartment in Oslo. While Jagland told VG he obtained all loans from Norwegian bank DNB, investigators are looking for “hidden” financial favors.
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Luxury Stays: Records indicate Jagland stayed at Epstein’s residences in New York and Paris multiple times between 2011 and 2018.
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Family Vacations: Plans were made in 2014 for Jagland, his wife, and children to visit Epstein’s private Caribbean island, Little St. James. Though Jagland claims the trip never materialized, the emails show Epstein’s staff coordinating complex flight logistics for the family.
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Russian Connections: The files show Epstein attempted to use Jagland to broker meetings with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov to propose a “Russian version of Bitcoin.”
A Fall from Grace
Jagland, 75, is one of the most decorated figures in modern Norwegian politics, having served as Prime Minister (1996–1997), Foreign Minister, and President of the Storting (Parliament). His fall from grace has sent shockwaves through Norway, where the Epstein scandal has already tarnished other high-profile figures.
Last week, Crown Princess Mette-Marit issued a public apology for her own past social ties to Epstein, while high-profile diplomat Mona Juul was suspended pending a similar investigation into alleged corruption.
“I have shown poor judgment,” Jagland recently admitted to Aftenposten, though his lawyer maintains that he believes no criminal liability exists.
As the investigation continues, Økokrim is expected to focus on whether Epstein’s “generosity” was intended to buy influence within the Council of Europe or the Nobel Peace Prize Committee. If convicted of aggravated corruption, Jagland could face up to 10 years in prison.
